Forty-eight new Americans from 28 countries took the oath of citizenship at a naturalization ceremony Friday, May 23, 2025, in US District Court in Charleston. The ceremony was presided over by Frank W. Volk (standing, background), chief judge of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia.
New citizen Dr. Inas Hassan Al-Attar, formerly of Germany, is shown Friday, May 23, 2025, during a citizenship and naturalization ceremony in U.S. District Court in Charleston. Forty-eight new Americans from 29 countries took the oath of citizenship at the ceremony.
James N. Ishida, circuit executive for the US Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, was the keynote speaker Friday, May 23, 2025, during a citizenship and naturalization ceremony in US District Court in Charleston. Forty-eight new Americans from 28 countries took the oath of citizenship at the ceremony. IshidaƵs family emigrated from Japan to Hawaii in the late 1890s.
Forty-eight new Americans from 28 countries took the oath of citizenship at a naturalization ceremony Friday, May 23, 2025, in U.S. District Court in Charleston. The ceremony was presided over by Frank W. Volk, chief judge of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia.
Forty-eight new Americans from 28 countries took the oath of citizenship at a naturalization ceremony Friday, May 23, 2025, in US District Court in Charleston. The ceremony was presided over by Frank W. Volk (standing, background), chief judge of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia.
New citizen Dr. Inas Hassan Al-Attar, formerly of Germany, is shown Friday, May 23, 2025, during a citizenship and naturalization ceremony in U.S. District Court in Charleston. Forty-eight new Americans from 29 countries took the oath of citizenship at the ceremony.
James N. Ishida, circuit executive for the US Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, was the keynote speaker Friday, May 23, 2025, during a citizenship and naturalization ceremony in US District Court in Charleston. Forty-eight new Americans from 28 countries took the oath of citizenship at the ceremony. IshidaƵs family emigrated from Japan to Hawaii in the late 1890s.
Forty-eight new Americans from 28 countries took the oath of citizenship at a naturalization ceremony Friday, May 23, 2025, in U.S. District Court in Charleston. The ceremony was presided over by Frank W. Volk, chief judge of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia.
CHARLESTON Ƶ Friday morning, four dozen new U.S. citizens were welcomed at a naturalization ceremony at the Robert C. Byrd Federal Courthouse in Charleston.
The ceremony was presided over by Frank W. Volk, chief judge of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia.
New American voices
Forty-eight people from 28 countries took the naturalization oath, received citizenship certificates and heard from two speakers. The speaker representing new citizens at the ceremony said she completed the long naturalization process for the privileges of citizenship and the ability to vote.
Dr. Inas Al-Attar, formerly a German citizen, is a pediatrician at in Princeton, Mercer County.
ƵI came here years ago for residency training in pediatrics, followed by some specialty training in pediatric infectious disease,Ƶ Al-Attar said. ƵEventually, I moved to West Virginia where IƵve had the privilege of practicing medicine and serving my community.Ƶ
Al-Attar said she was nervous about speaking at the ceremony, but treated it as if she was giving a medical lecture.
ƵToday marks a new beginning for all of us,Ƶ Al-Attar said. ƵI am proud to become a U.S. citizen and give back to the country that has given me so much.Ƶ
The eventƵs keynote speaker, James N. Ishida, identified with the new citizens. Ishida is the fourth-generation descendant of an immigrant. Ishida shared the story of his great-great grandfather emigrating from Japan to Hawaii in the late 1800s.
ƵJust as my great-great grandfather had no idea what I would become,Ƶ said Ishida, who is the circuit executive for the U.S. Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, Ƶthere is no way that I could achieve what I did in my life without his sacrifice and hard work. I wanted to impress upon you the momentousness of this decision that youƵve made here today.Ƶ
WhatƵs next
Citizenship ceremonies usually occur triannually at the federal courthouse in Charleston. For information on the naturalization process, visit the . Take a sample citizenship quiz that contains some of the same questions the new citizens answered at .
Olivia Haught is a general news reporter. Reach her at 681-888-9109 or ohaught@hdmediallc.com.
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